Washing machine



June 3, 1930. w, HAMPDEN 1,761,338

WASHING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1929 INVENTOR.

rm Hemp den BY A TTORNEY.

Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES WELLESLEY R. HAMPDEN, 0F READVILLE,

OREGON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO WIL- LIAM F. W OOLARD, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN WASHING Application filed July 20,

My invention relates to washing machines of the hand type designed for household use, and it resides in a light and readily portable structure, which can easily be attached in position upon a wash tub.

The invention consists in an attachment to the tub, such attachment beingconstructed as to support in vertical position a shaft having both axial and rotary reciprocations. The said shaft is provided with a spiral groove, which is engaged by a stud fixed on the support for the shaft, and through which movements of rotation are imparted to the shaft, through the action of a vibrating hand. lever connected at one end to the shaft, and by means of which the axial reciprocations are imparted to the shaft.

The shaft mentioned carries at its lower end a vacuum creating plunger of novel form,

such plunger being especially constructed so as to agitate the fabrics placed in the tub to be cleansed, so that in the operation of the machine, such fabrics or other articles are subjected to a raking movement by the plunger, which insures that all of the fabrics or other articles in the tub will be brought into the zone of action of the plunger, and subjected to a thorough cleansing operation.

Having thus outlined the nature of my invention, I will now proceed to describe the same specifically, and will point out the novelty thereof in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, of my improved washing machine, shown as positionedupon awash tub, the latter being shown in central vertical section, and also illustrating the extremes of movement of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a view from Fig. 1. p

Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectionof themachine, on the line 3+3, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

the left hand side of In the drawing the numeral 10 lndicates a wash tub of conventional form.

MACHINE 1929. Serial No. 379,756.

the support for the operating elements of the machine.

The support 11-12 may be conveniently formed as a stamped orcast channel member, as shown, or otherwise. The lower end of the vertical arm 11 is provided with a laterally extending finger 12, which is adapted to engage with the under side of the tub. Near the upper end of the arm 11, the web of the channel is slotted as at 13, for the reception of a bolt 14; passed through the slot from the channel or outer side of the arm. The bolt is adapted to rest on the rim 15 of the tub, and to be received in a per foration in an angular clamping piece 16, the straight fre end of the lower arm of which bears against the inside of the tub, while the bent free end of the upper arm of the angular clamping piece 16 rests against the inner side of the arm 11, just above the slot' in the'arm 11.

A wing nut 17 is threaded onto the inwardly projectingend of the bolt 14, and by bearing on the angular clampingv piece 16, will act to clamp the rim of the tub between 'the arm. 11 of the support and the angular piece 16, and thus securely fix the support 11 -12, in position upon the tub/ The means described for attaching the support to the tub are simple and easy to manipulate, both in positioning the machine and removing the same from the tub.

The arm 12 of the support is provided with a fork at its free end, disposed in approximately the axial center of the tub; The said fork comprises avertical cross head 18, hav ing upper and lower horizontally extending spaced ears 19 and 20. The ears 19 and 20 are provided with aligned vertical bores, to provide support in vertical position for a shaft 21, mounted freely so as to have axial reciprocations in its bearings.

A link 22, pivoted at its lower end 23 to the support 1112, at the outer angle thereof, is pivotally connected as at 24 to the rear end of a vibrator lever 25, extending across the tub, and having a handle 26 at its free end. I prefer to form the vibrator 25 as a channel member of sheet metal, and in the channel I secure a block 27 provided at its lower side with a socket, in which is received a ball 28, formed at the upper end of the shaft 21. The block 27 being a malleable structure, can easily be closed about the ball after the latter has been inserted, and so form a ball and socket connect-ion between the shaft 21 and the vibrator 25. The block 27 moves in the line of the axis of the shaft 21 in the longitudinal reciprocations of the latter, and the pivoted link 22 provides the required latitude in such movements for the vibrator 25.

The shaft 21 is-provided-with a long spiral groove 29, extending approximately once around the shaft. he said groove is entered by the point of a fixed screw 80, threaded into a perforation in the bar 18 of the'fork in which the shaft is guided. By this means, the movements of the vibrator 25 to impart axial movements to the shaft 21, are translated into rotary reciprocations of the shaft 21.

Aflixed to the lower end of the shaft 21, and operating within the wash tub 10, is a hollow vacuum creating plunger 81, preferably elliptical in form, as shown in Fig. 3, the connection of the plunger or agitator 31 with'the said shaft being offset from the center in the line of-thegreater diameter of the plunger, so that in'the forward rotary movements of the plunger, the fabrics or other articles in the tub are given a sweeping movement by which they are turned over and over, and all such fabrics or other articles are brought under the pounding action of the plunger in its descent. In the reverse reciprocations of the plunger 31, the latter is withdrawn from its engagement with the fabrics in the positions to which they have been moved, and engagement is made with the fabrics at other places in the repetition of the plunging action. In the operation of the improved washing machine, the fabrics or other articles to be cleansed are turned over and over automatically so that all of such articles are subjected to a thorough cleansing operation.

Having thus'described my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. :In a washing machine, a vertically'disposed axially reciprocating shaft, a support for-guiding the shaft in such reciprocations, means for imparting rotation to the shaft during its axial movement, and a plungeron thelower end of the shaft and mounted offcenter with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to 'be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger asweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

2. In a washing machine, a vertically disposedaxially reciprocating shaft, a support for guiding the shaft in such reciprocations, means between the support and the shaft for imparting rotation to the shaft during its axial movement, and a plunger on the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

3. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed axially reciprocating shaft, a support for guiding the shaft in such reciprocations, means as a spiral groove on the shaft and a pin on the support engaged in the groove for imparting rotation to the shaft during its axial movement, and a plunger on the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the rticles to'be cleansed, whereby'in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

4. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed shaft and means for axiallyreciprocating the same, a support for guiding the shaft in such reciprocations, means for imparting reciprocating rotations to the shaft during its axial reciprocations, and a plunger on the lower end of the shaft and-mounted off-center with respect'to'the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

5. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed shaft and means for axially reciprocating the same, a support for guiding the shaft in such reciprocations, means between the support and the shaft for imparting reciproeating rotations to the shaft during its axial reciprocations, and a plunger on the lower end ofthe shaft and mounted off-center with respect'to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

6. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed shaft and means for axially reciprocating the same, a support for guiding the shaft in such reciprocations,means as a spiral groove on the shaft and a pin onthe support engaged in the groove for imparting reciprocating rotations to the shaft during its axial reciprocations, and a plunger on the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

7. In a washing machine, a support and means for attaching the same to a tub, a vertically disposed shaft mounted for axial reciprocations in the said support, means between the support and the shaft whereby reciprocating rotations are imparted to the shaft during its axial reciprocations, and a plunger on the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby-in the downward movement of-the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

8. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed shaft and means for axially reciprocating the same, a support for guiding the shaft V in such reciprocations, the said shaft having a spiral groove with means on the support engaged in the said groove, whereby recip rocating rotations are imparted to the shaft during its axial reciprocations, and a plunger of elliptical contour attached to the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

9. In a washing machine, a support with means for clamping the same to a tub, an arm formed with the said support extending over the tub and having a cross head, a shaft mounted for vertical reciprocations in the said cross head, the said shaft being provided with a spiral groove, means on the cross head engaged in the groove for imparting reciprocating rotations to the shaft during the vertical reciprocations of the latter, and a plunger of elliptical contour attached to the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter for agitating the articles to be cleansed, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the said articles.

10. In a washing machine, a vertically disposed, axially reciprocating shaft, a support for guiding the shaft, means for effecting such reciprocations, means for imparting rotating movement to the shaft during its axial movement, and a plunger of elliptical contour attached to the lower end of the shaft and mounted off-center with respect to the latter, whereby in the downward movement of the plunger a sweeping movement is imparted to the articles to be cleansed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, Wisconsimthis first day of July, 1929.

W. R. HAMPDEN. 

